Seeds Of Hope
by MazzaRedd
Summary: How the team are coping two weeks after Jean’s death


Title: Seeds of Hope

Author: Marianne

Rating: PG-13 (language)

Summary: How the team are coping two weeks after Jean's death

Notes: I am dedicating this to my close friend and beta Kelly Anne for being a really good friend and hope she feels better soon and also to another friend who had helped me through a really tough time recently, Emma, or known as PirateKing on Hype. Thanks guys…..J 

Ororo's alarm clock woke her up at 7.30am for the third time. She had not slept well the previous night due to a bad dream. She walked out her room still yawning. The hallways were silent and dark as everyone else would still be sleeping. She walked into the living room with a coffee for herself and for the occupant of the couch. Ever since Alkali Lake, Scott Summers had not slept in his bed. He hardly slept at all. He would be up at all hours watching TV with his new best friend, Jones. By the time Ororo came down in the morning Scott would be sound asleep on the couch and Jones still watching TV, toned down quietly. However this morning the couch was empty, Jones was sitting on the floor alone. 

"Jones?" 

"Morning Miss Munroe." Jones said turning around to smile at her. 

Ororo smiled back slightly. "Where's Mr Summers?" She asked. 

"He never came down last night." He replied.

Ororo remembered seeing Scott go into his room before she went to bed last night and she smiled. He had finally slept in his room again. 

"Miss Munroe, do you know where he is?" The curious student asked.

"Yes, I think I do." She said and left. Jones just shrugged and turned to watch TV again.

"Scott." Ororo said through the closed door and knocked gently. There was no reply. "Scott I brought you some coffee." Still no reply. "Scott I'm going to come in ok?" She opened the door slowly. The bed was empty. Still made. The covers had not been touched. The en-suite bathroom was empty also. The room was completely empty. A light rush of panic through her and she left for the classrooms. She checked all classes. No sign of him. She checked every other room in the mansion, or almost excluding Logan, Kurt and Xavier's. She went to the garage. All cars and motorbikes were still there. The panic she felt earlier intensified and her heartbeat was getting faster and faster. At the moment he was capable of anything. She decided to check the sub-basement and hoped the jet wasn't gone. She would expect him to be in jet. Reliving Jean's death over and over again. She was on her way to the elevator when she spotted him. She looked out the window to see Scott lying on the bench beside the basketball court. She walked outside and pulled her robe round her as it was chilly. 

Scott lay there on the bench only wearing jeans and a t-shirt. A basketball lay beside the bench along with a bottle of Jack Daniels, more than half consumed. Scott was never a heavy drinker when it came to alcohol but he had been drinking a lot lately. But he made sure he would still be sober enough to teach classes.

"Scott." Ororo said kneeing beside him. She put a hand on his arm to find the skin almost too cold to touch. Ororo heard footsteps heading towards her and turned round to see Logan.

"Hey." He greeted her. "Hey Scott."

"He's still asleep."

"Oh, sorry."

"Logan could you please bring a blanket or something out, he's freezing." She asked him and he nodded and left for the mansion. 

"Scott." She said again this time a bit louder and shook him a little. 

He startled a bit, waking up from an unpleasant dream then turned to see Ororo. "Hi."

"Scott why were you sleeping out here?" She asked softly.

He shrugged a bit. "I don't know, think I must of dosed off." His hand fell onto the basketball. "Just shooting some hoops."

"And where does this come into it?" She asked holding the bottle of Jack Daniels up.

"Helps the pain in here." He said placing a hand over his heart. "Also gives you one hell of a hangover." He said with a smile. Ororo smiled back but it didn't hold back her tears.

"Is it ok to say, hey Scott, now?" Logan asked.

"Hey Logan." Scott said. 

Logan picked up the bottle. "Mind if I have the rest?" He asked.

"Go ahead." Scott said then shivered. "I feel so numb."

"That's cause it's the middle of winter and you're not exactly wearing winter clothes." Ororo said.

Logan put the blanket over Scott, covering his body securely.

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it." Logan said and took a drink.

"What time is it?" Scott asked them.

"Eight." Logan replied.

"Eight!" He sat up quickly, shoving the blanket off. "I got classes soon." Ororo put her hands on Scott's shoulders.

"It's okay Scott. We're giving them the day off." Scott nodded and wrapped the blanket round him again.

Ororo sat beside him. "Scott have you ever thought of sleeping in you bed again."

Scott shook his head. "I can't. It's not mine to sleep in. It's ours." He was talking about Jean. "When she comes back, I'll sleep there with her."

Logan looked at the young leader. He was convinced Jean was still alive and no longer accepted her death. He said he still feels her presence in his head and that she talks to him. Logan just thought his head was messed up and confused. Moments after Jean died, Logan made it very clear to Scott she was dead. At that time Scott did accept her death. He almost tried to kill himself because of it, almost jumping off a cliff near the mansion. Logan was lucky to be there at the time and since that day always kept a close eye on him. Three days after that incident Scott started hearing her voice in his mind. He said she was talking to him, but could never recall any of the conversation after she left.

Logan sat to the other side of Scott. It was a bit of a tight squeeze but Scott appreciated the warmth. 

"Thanks guys." Scott said,

"For what?" Ororo asked.

"For being here and putting up with me these past two weeks. I must've been a right asshole to you."

"Nah, just a little." Logan said and Scott laughed a little.

"Out of all of us it's been harder on you but you've been the strongest. You're taking more classes and just moving on." Ororo said. "I'm so proud of you."

"Even if I do sleep on the couch and outside, and drink?" He asked with a smile.

"Well that's the down point." She said.

"Well like I said, when Jean comes back I'll sleep in my bed again with her." Scott said then groaned a bit and shut his eyes, hoping his headache would disappear.

The three of them sat in silence. Logan felt out of place. Yes, he and Scott were getting along but they weren't exactly best friends. Logan started to get up to go back indoors.

"You don't have to leave Logan." Scott said bit then looked up to the sky.

"So, when do you think she'll come back?" Logan asked and Ororo looked at him confused.

"Ah, so you believe me now?" Scot asked.

"Maybe…. either that or you've went nuts." Ororo eyes started to go white with anger and thunder roared above them. Scott on the other hand laughed. "Yeah maybe I have. But if I have convinced you I won't be the only one."

The thunder stopped and Ororo relaxed a bit. Birds were whistling above in the sky and some were on the grass. Logan pulled out a bag of birdseed and started feeding the birds. Scott and Ororo stared at him.

"Hey I got a hobby too." He said.

Scott laughed a bit and Logan smiled not wanting to start any arguments. Scott let his head drop onto Ororo's shoulder and closed his eyes.

"You tired?" Ororo asked. He just nodded and shifted a bit to make himself comfortable. 

Logan stood up off the bench. "Lie down." He said then sat down on the court. Scott did as Logan said resting his head on Ororo's lap. He pulled the blanket round him and let out a sigh. Logan picked up the basketball and spun it on his finger. Scott snored lightly and Ororo just held his hand. 

"He seems to be getting along better these days." Logan said quietly and Ororo nodded a bit.

"Logan do you believe him? Do you think……..Jean is still alive?" She asked quietly.

"I'm not sure but I want to believe it….."

"I wish he would get more sleep. I've noticed he's started to fall asleep during class." Ororo said. "It's like he's waiting for her. Staying up all night."

"I can still hear you." Scott said smiling. "Don't worry about me, I'm fine."

Logan threw the basketball over to the hoop and missed. He shrugged. "I can get it from here, hell half the kids can." Scott said.

"Well give me a few more days and I'll be better than anyone here."

"Sounds like a challenge."

"Tonight?" Logan asked looking up at Scott.

Scott nodded and all were silent again. Scott was lost in his mind and a huge grin appeared on his face. Ororo and Logan looked at each other but said nothing.

"Whenever you're ready, come back." Scott said.

"What?" Logan asked confused.

"But sweetie make it soon." Scott continued. "We're all missing you. Especially me." Tears had started roll down Scott's face. "Come back."

"Scott wake up." Ororo said thinking Scott was asleep.

"He's not asleep." Logan whispered. "She's in his head. She's speaking to him."

"I can't I need you here." Scott said as he gripped onto Ororo's hand tighter. "Come back and I'll sleep there with you. No don't leave me again. Come back for good. You always say that." He was silent for a few seconds. "I know you need time, but just come back so I know you're safe."

"Logan." Ororo whispered. "Oh god, she is alive." Ororo was now crying and Logan stood up to kneel beside her.

"Please, come back." Scott whispered then was quiet.

"She's gone." Logan echoed the words from two weeks ago.

"Logan, how did you know?" Ororo asked.

"I don't know if it's true, but he's convinced me. At first I thought he was talking to himself, but his conversations are just too real."

Scott woke up from his thirty-second sleep. "She did it again. She put me to sleep so she could leave."

"Scott are you sure this not a dream." Ororo asked, tears still spilling out her eyes.

"It's not a dream it's real." Scott said then burst into tears and buried his face into Ororo's lap. Logan put a hand on Scott's shoulder. A pained look crossed his face but this time he held back the tears.

Xavier looked at the three from his office. He had known Jean was still alive a day after her "death." He didn't tell the others; he wanted them to find out for themselves. Pain hit his heart seeing Scott like this. Charles decided it was time to tell Scott the truth about Jean, that she was indeed alive and she was speaking to him through his mind. Charles wheeled out the office and down to the garden. Scott was about to know his fiancée was alive, but she wasn't the same Jean Grey who left the jet to save the lives of others. She was now Phoenix. 

END


End file.
